This Is My Hell
by WinterViolets
Summary: *Sequel to Dreams Hold Life Within* Dallas Viola, now a fixed part of the Avengers' lives, discovers her realm, Helheim, and all of the beautiful things that come with it. Her sister and the Avengers are her world, she would do anything for them- but when they are all under threat, Dallas is helpless. Everything comes crashing down - and she can't stop it.*I don't own the Avengers*
1. Chapter 1

**Hi :) So it's time for Dallas's story to continue, yay :D If you haven't read Dreams Hold Life Within, I suggest you do, otherwise there's quite a bit that you might not understand, you can take the risk if you want :D**

**Enjoy this chapter, sorry for any grammar mistakes :P**

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Dying. It was a strange sensation, to say the least. It was like leaving behind every scrap of life you ever had, everything you'd ever worked for, yet at the same time it was like gaining the best things you could never have. One second it was every wish you'd ever had, and the next it was all of your darkest fears crashing into you like a raging tidal wave. The worst part, though, was that it seemed to last forever.

An infinity of darkness swirled around Dallas, teasing her and tricking her, pulling her one way, pushing her the other; wrapping around her like tendrils littered with thorns. There was nothing to hold onto, no branches to grasp, no rocks to clutch, nothing to stop the endless feeling that Dallas knew was falling. Falling down a bottomless pit. Would this be her oblivion, just falling? Would she only see darkness for the rest of eternity? How long exactly was eternity? Where was Frea?

She wasn't even breathing. Was there air in eternity? Then again, she was already dead. Dallas wasn't going to go with the cliché shock of 'OHMYGOD I'M DEAD HELP ME'. She had come to terms with that when she died. Dying was nothing like she expected. Dallas didn't even know what she did expect – just that it wasn't this. She didn't believe in Heaven or Hell, she didn't believe that we get reincarnated, she didn't believe that we see our loved ones again. She didn't believe in oblivion – but that was the only answer she could come up with to the intricate puzzle that was racing through her mind.

Dallas wasn't feeling any pain. That was certainly something unexpected. Pain is usually the first thing associated with dying, but Dallas had completely forgotten what pain felt like; it was as if the blackness had taken away any emotion she had ever had. However, if that was true, Dallas would forget the love she had for her friends, and the bitter hatred she had for Loki. Those feeling were still solid, still tugging at the back of her mind, reminding her of why she was here in the first place. Dallas felt incredibly guilty for dying. She wasn't upset – not at all – she was just guilty. She had no idea how her friends would take it. She could have condemned them to an eternity of sadness. That had not been her intention. Dying was not her intention- it seemed she couldn't get anything right. It wasn't the first time.

People usually believe oblivion to be white; like a pristine room in a perfectly organized hospital. Not many people would expect the oblivion that Dallas experienced. It was like black ashes and coal were whipping around her, sending her vision into a whirlwind of darkness. Maybe this wasn't oblivion – maybe there was no such thing. What if when you die, you just sleep for eternity, like a parent would tell a child if a pet died? Dallas wished there was some way that this could all end – could she kill herself if she was already dead? She couldn't face an infinity of boredom and blackness. Would she forget what seeing was like? Would the only feeling that remains in a year's time be falling?

Dallas thought nothing could be worse in this situation; nothing could make her feel smaller, or lonelier. She was wrong. Just when she had managed to comprehend the fact that she would spend eternity falling deeper into blackness – Dallas hit the ground. Suddenly, all the pain she had thought was lost rushing back into her, relays and nerves exploding with the force. Dallas felt thick, hot blood trickle down her head, catching in her hair as it made its way to her neck. Waves of pain rippled from her legs like knives cutting through her skin to a steady beat. Her head spinning and blotted with blood, Dallas reached out, finding a jagged wall which she used to haul herself up off the ground. Her legs almost buckled underneath her, her bones too broken from the fall to fully support her. Without warning, Dallas heard a voice, along with hurried footsteps. There were people here.

Dallas had no energy left in her weakened body to run away, not when standing up was an issue. Instead, she tried her best to pull her wings out, managing to get them to fall limply at her side. So much for looking intimidating. A steady yellow light appeared in the distance, increasing Dallas's breathing and heart rate. Surely nobody could kill her if she was dead? Why did they want to find her, was this an assassination? What if this was some kind of dark magic? Dallas was in full on hyperventilating panic mode.

"Dallas?" She heard a voice ask. Dallas knew that voice. She knew that voice like it was her own – it basically was.

"Frea?" Dallas whispered back, not quite believing her sister was just metres away from her. In a flash of blue, Dallas was engulfed in a bear hug by her twin, finding herself crying and hugging back – she never thought she'd see Frea again. Dallas was seriously doubting that this was real – maybe it was her version of an afterlife. Maybe you got to dream up your own afterlife.

"Just fell from something really high!" Dallas quietly reminded her sister, who was clutching her like the crown jewels.

"Sorry!" Frea whispered back, pulling away from the hug to support her sister. Dallas grabbed onto Frea's arm, somehow managing to hold herself up.

"Where are we?" Dallas asked, not being able to see anything more from the pure blackness that surrounded her.

"We're in your realm. This is Helheim – your kingdom!" Frea cried, and even without being able to see, Dallas knew there was a gigantic smile across Frea's face.

"HOW?!" Dallas shouted, causing a few rocks to tumble to the ground in the distance – letting Dallas come to the conclusion that this was some sort of cave system.

"It's a long story – but it'll take us a little while to get back to the main buildings," Frea explained as she started leading Dallas through the caves, using her small light to guide them and two others.

"So, we're daughters of Loki, and you, Hel, rule over Helheim thanks to some crackhead law that Odin invented. Up until I...died...Helheim was ran by drones that sorted souls into the right level, like the sorting hat. But when I came along, as I'm your sister I've been ruling for a bit. So yadda yadda yadda, and we're here, and you have to start ruling. BUTBUTBUT! This means that you can send yourself back to life, or even me if you wanted to, and the drones will be able to look after Helheim while you're gone!" Frea explained rapidly, not really stopping to take a breath.

It was a lot to take in for Dallas, it seemed only days ago that she was thinking about how she didn't rule any realms. Luckily, to save her the embarrassment of not having much to say, they were soon hit with a beam of light form a white doorway. Frea pulled Dallas through the tall, glistening white door, into the most majestic room Dallas had ever seen. And it was hers.

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**I hope you enjoyed that chapter :3 Any follows or favourites or reviews would absolutely make my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and remember I'm always open to suggestions :)**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hay again :3 I hope you're enjoying this so far, I'm doing my best to make it interesting :) :) Hope y'all are all okay, I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH :3**

**Sorry for any mistakes in this chapter - I know I make a lot D:**

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The vast room contained four shining silver sculptures that glistened in the sunlight that Dallas presumed was artificial. Each of the four sculptures represented one of the elements; however all were statues of Dallas. Dallas found it slightly creepy that red, blue, white and grey eyed versions of herself in Asgardian armour were staring at her from each corner of the room, as if showing her what she was supposed to be. The ceiling was decorated with low hanging icicles, each blue tinted point reaching just below two metres from the ground.

Walking in absolute awe around the sports hall sized room, Dallas gasped as she came to what appeared to be her throne. It was a deep black, with slightly ornate flower patterns twisting around the bars, each one tinted with a glowing red flame. Beside the towering throne sat a slightly smaller one, this one a deep blue and decorated with grey swirls and eyes – Dallas guessed this was Frea's. On a twisted leg ice table between the two chairs, a silver sword was encased in a strong glass cabinet. Dallas slowly stepped up to it, her hands shaking as she reached to touch the cabinet. At her slightest touch, the cabinet faded away, revealing the sword for Dallas to hold. Dallas grasped the fire patterned handle, seeing the word 'Hel' engraved in red across it. The blade was decorated with an intricate fire pattern, indicating that the people of Helheim thought she represented fire the most.

"You've hardly seen anything yet!" Frea cried excitedly, pulling Dallas away from the sword and waving her hand, using some sort of magic to make the cabinet reappear. Frea pulled her through a black door behind the thrones, where a selection of outfits were held in glass cabinets against a wall, another wall covered in a purple curtain.

"Those are mine," Frea told Dallas, pointing to the left wall, "And these are yours!" She squealed, pulling back the purple curtain to reveal 4 more cabinets against the black walls, each containing the most beautiful outfits that Dallas had ever seen.

The first cabinet contained a deep red and silver metallic armour that covered her right arm and both legs, the rest a black leather that fitted wonderfully. Dallas had no idea how people knew exactly what size she was, she'd never even heard of a place like this before – she just thought of Helheim as a ridiculous fantasy. The second cabinet contained a bright red silk dress that went to the floor, decorated with black rose lace across the top, and had black crystals hanging from the waist. Dallas didn't usually like dresses that much, but this was a definite exception.

The third cabinet contained rose patterned black armour, with fire symbols adorning black leather that fitted underneath the armour that covered her legs and shoulders. Lying next to it was a red sword case, obviously for the sword that Dallas saw earlier. This was definitely her favourite. The final cabinet contained a knee length black dress that had a simple wash of red at the bottom. The mannequin that it was supported on had model wings, which were adorned with rubies on black chains, something Dallas would love to wear with the black armour. She had to admit that whoever designed these outfits was pretty skilled – there weren't many clothes that Dallas liked apart from skinny jeans and leather jackets.

"You'll want to wear one of those dresses for going around, if you go in armour the souls will think you want to war with them – I made that mistake once!" Frea told Dallas, pointing to a rip on her dark navy dress. All of Frea's dresses were almost exactly the same as Dallas's except with silver and blue colour schemes. Dallas nodded, picking out the last dress. Frea opened a red door for her, which turned out to be a large changing room, with a full mirror and a red make up table. Dallas quickly changed, finding it surprisingly easy to get into the dress and put on the rubies for her wings. She felt incredibly strange to have her wings out without actually needed them.

Stepping out of the red door, Dallas found Frea in the throne room waiting for her.

"Hey Dallas!" Frea yelled, gesturing for her sister to sit down. Dallas skipped over to the black throne beside her sister's, tentatively sitting down on it – not used to sitting on something so grand.

"Hi," Dallas replied, somewhat quieter than Frea. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, what duties she had or how much power she had. Would Frea ever get jealous of her and turn out like Loki? Dallas had noticed that Frea was very much like Loki sometimes, in the way she spoke and sometimes gave people a glare. No, that wouldn't – couldn't happen. Neither of them would become like Loki.

"Don't worry about anything!" Frea said, laughing as she could read her sister like a book. It wasn't because Dallas was an open book – she was far from it – but Frea pulled exactly the same faces, and had exactly the same look in her eyes when she was nervous.

"I just...I don't know what's expected of me!" Dallas cried in exasperation, the familiar feeling of confusion settling in her again. She was still in shock from seeing Frea again, dying and finding out she was a Queen – she was finding it hard to handle that she'd have lots of duties and tasks to do. She was quite the opposite of her power-hungry father, she was afraid of power. Lots of people were going to hate her, and she knew it.

"Don't worry about anything, honestly this is so easy! Basically, every day from 5pm to 8pm, the guards will let in all the souls that have died today, and we judge where they go. It's pretty easy, as we have the power to see all the things they've done in their lives. You can send them to different levels – level 1 is filled with fire and daemons, level 2 is a desert, level 3 is a cold landscape with a few trees, level 4 is a forest, and level 5 is Valhalla, which contains that person's dreams. Simple enough, yeah?" Frea told her slowly, letting Dallas process the information.

"Eh, I suppose. Can we go to Earth when we're done please?" Dallas asked, keen to see her friends again. Not that she wasn't glad to see Frea, or that she didn't appreciate the welcome she had received, but she missed her friends, and actually had the opportunity to visit them, something not many people got to do.

"Sure!" Frea replied. She was also hoping to visit Earth, it would be fun to visit everyone again.

A man Dallas recognized as Garm, the guard to Helheim, opened the tall, silver gates that lay at the bottom of the hallway, allowing a long line of souls in. Dallas had to keep herself from screaming at the horror of some of them. They had sunken, red eyes, blood pouring from their blackened bodies, their bones tearing through their skin. The first broken soul came before Dallas.

"Your majesty, Hel, I beg you to place me in a level of relevance to my life." She muttered, staring at the ground below her as she knelt before Dallas. Dallas could immediately see all the things that the poor girl had gone through in her life – multiple beatings through childhood, being forced into thievery and murder. It was disgusting what she had gone through. Hearing Frea say the same to the soul currently in front of her, Dallas said "I send you to the level of the Forest.", knowing the girl had been forced into sins. Dallas watched, astounded, as the girl smiled greatly at her, regaining her normal form. She was a beautiful girl, but Dallas was saddened to see that she was only about the same age as herself.

So that's how the longest three hours of Dallas's life were spent – forcing herself not to sympathize, or sometimes not to grab the sword from beside her and stab people. She couldn't wait to go home.

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**Thank you so much for using time out of your incredibly awesome life to read my story! I love yo so much for reading this, and even more so if you have reviewed followed or favourited :D Have a lovely evening/night/afternoon/morning/day/FRICKFRACKYOUTIMEZONES :P Love you ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey :) This was a bit boring to write, and I think it probably doesn't have quite the affect that I want it to - but oh well :) I hope you guys like it, and sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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"Hey Frea?" Dallas asked as the two were walking towards the platform, where they would fly across the river that surrounded Helheim.

"What?!" Frea shouted back, completely out of character. Dallas knew that Frea had changed since she died, but she didn't know it was this much! Dallas decided to ignore it – she was probably just stressed from the 3 hours of staring into people's lives.

"Erm...does it matter that I have buried you? Can you like, go to a different place on Earth or do you have to wake up in your grave? Because if you do, you might have some trouble getting out..." Dallas said, remembering the defensive charms she had set up around Frea's grave.

"I doubt it. I can go where I want." Frea replied bluntly. The strange thing was – Dallas didn't know if her sister was talking about her body or being able to get past the charms. Something must have pissed Frea off – maybe it was a soul being rude. It probably was. Hopefully.

Dallas didn't reply to Frea, there was no point. Dallas hated people talking to her when she was angry, so she assumed it must be the same for Frea. Frea had changed into her blue armour, something much more suited to flying than the knee length dress she was wearing before, however Dallas just changed back into the jeans and T-shirt she had came in. Miraculously, there was no sign that she had been shot in those clothes, probably the work of the magic of Helheim. Dallas was dying to explore more of the land, as she'd only seen the caves and the throne room – she didn't have any clue if there were any gardens or palaces in her own realm.

The two stood on the deep purple platform, at least 100 feet above the raging red river that kept Helheim's inhabitants inside. Dallas suddenly came to the conclusion that Frea and herself had wings for that very reason – to fly out of Helheim.

"Ready?" Frea asked, her blue hair whipping around her face in the wind. Dallas smiled at her sister, stretching her white wings as Frea did the same with her blue ones. They both jumped at the same time, plummeting to the river before their wings lifted them upwards, granting them the keys to the sky. Dallas loved the feeling of the cold wind rippling her feathers, it was magical. She could tell that Frea felt the same; she could practically taste the joy rippling from her sister.

As the two neared the end of the river, a flash of red light suddenly enveloped them both, blinding them with its brightness. Within a second, they had landed outside the Avengers Tower.  
"They're gonna be extremely pissed off, you know!" Frea told Dallas, smirking at her sister.

"Shit, I hadn't thought of that..." Dallas murmured, suddenly realizing that arriving unannounced probably wasn't the best thing to do after she'd just died.

"Oh well, yolo!" both girls said at the same time, laughing at their unison as they skipped up to the doors of the Tower.

As they reached the door, Dallas forgot any worries that she had before –they would mean nothing in a few days. She confidently reached into her pocket, pulling out the silver key card that she always kept in there – not that she had really left the tower much before...everything. She swiped it through the slot located on the side of the door, then typed in her key code. Honestly, Dallas thought that this was nowhere near enough security for the building that the Avengers resided in, but she guessed that Tony would have it covered with death traps or whatever Jarvis could do...which was pretty much anything.

"Jarvis?" Dallas whispered to the thin air around her, wondering why she hadn't been greeted yet. She received no response from the AI, causing her to send a questioning look at Frea. To her disappointed, Frea just shrugged her shoulders, obviously having no clue as to why Jarvis wasn't speaking. Maybe everybody was out, and Jarvis was on lockdown or something. Either that or Tony had managed to annoy Jarvis into artificial heaven.

"Let's look around, they might be in trouble." Dallas told Frea, still not wanting to raise her voice above a whisper in case of any intruders. She dreaded to think that her friends might have been taken away while she was 'dead', she needed to see them.

The girls walked towards the lifts, stepping into one and pressing the 3rd floor button. Dallas hoped that they would be in the lowest level lounge, rather than having to search every single floor for the Avengers; and that would be fun, considering that the Tower had 103 floors. Dallas sensed that Frea was avoiding eye contact with her, for some unknown reason. However, not wanting to upset her sister, Dallas took to staring at the beige walls that covered the inside of the small lifts. As the sleek brown doors slid open, Dallas smiled as she heard voices from the lounge down the corridor.

Stepping out of the lift, Dallas sprinted towards the lounge, no part of her even slightly suspicious of how Frea seemed pretty uninterested of what was happening, walking slowly behind and picking at her nails. Dallas slowly reached for the black doorknob that would open the door, hesitating as she heard the voices inside. Was this really the right thing to do? Would she regret this? With one final shake of her head, Dallas banished the negative thoughts, quickly opening the door to reveal the entirety of the Avengers, all looking glum. She should have expected this - but she wasn't exactly brilliant at empathy.

A chorus of "WHAT THE HELL?" and "WHO ARE YOU, IMPOSTER!" washed over the sea of confused and angry faces, all of them obviously not believing that Dallas was standing before them. Dallas looked to her side, her face falling as she realized her supposedly ever faithful sister was not by her side. Either Frea thought this was something she had to do on her own, or just didn't care. Dallas being a most-of-the-time optimist, went with the former.

"It's me, Dallas. I've got a lot of explaining to do I guess..." She said to the group in front of her. That didn't really convince them, as they still had guns raised. Tough crowd.

"Yeah, you kinda do." Tony said, folding his arms and putting his feet up.

"Okay, so..." Dallas said quietly, walking further into the room and sitting on the vacant armchair, "Basically, when I died, I found out that I ruled over Helheim – you know that thingywhatsit in Norse mythology? Yeah, Frea looked after it while I wasn't there, but as soon as I died, I took over the rule, because I'm Hel. Don't ask me why – I hardly know anything! But I send souls into the different levels of Hel, and I can also bring people back to life, so yeah. I came to see you guys, and I guess you're probably pretty angry at me and I'm so sorry!" Dallas cried, ending up crying her eyes out.

She couldn't bear to open her eyes – to see all of the cold, hard glares that she knew she would be receiving.

"I forgive you. We all do." Natasha said softly, surprising everyone. This seemed to relax the rest of them, as Natasha had a hard time trusting people. If Natasha trusted someone, the rest of them did – no ifs, no buts.

Dallas looked up, her face full of shock as she saw the soft gazes of the people around her. She hadn't lost her only friends. Nothing could go wrong for now; it would be okay...for a bit.

Soon enough, the tears were flowing and hugs were being shared. For a group of mighty super heroes, there sure were soft. Dallas got about 50 hugs in total, everybody relieved to see her. They couldn't really doubt her crying face – this had to be the real Dallas. They weren't angry with her either- it wasn't exactly her fault that she died and found out she ruled a realm- it was quite a burden for a teenager.

"Well, this escalated quickly!" Tony joked, trying to make like of the sinister situation. The group laughed, for once not annoyed at Tony's cheesy and ridiculous jokes.

"DDAALLLASS!" Frea yelled from down the corridor, her voice carrying in a slightly sing song way. Dallas smiled as her blue haired sister skipped through the doorway. The Avengers couldn't look less surprised – they had already had the shock of their lives.

"Yeah?" Dallas said, replying to her sister.

"We gotta go – duty calls!" She said smiling. Dallas had no idea how her sister could be smiling about leaving Earth.

"What? Already?" Dallas whined, sounding like a child who had to leave an amusement park.

"Yeah. Come on, the guards will kill us if we don't get there on time!" Frea almost yelled at her sister, obviously wanting to stick tight to a schedule.

"Alright, well, see you guys." Dallas waved solemnly at her friends, "I promise I'll be back soon – hopefully for longer next time."

"See you soon, Tweety." Tony grinned, throwing a chocolate bar in her direction. Dallas smiled broadly at him in thanks. She was just about to walk out, before Clint stopped her.

"You said you could bring people back to life..." He said, sounding unsure, with a slightly hopeful glint in his eyes. Dallas knew what he wanted.

"I'll speak to him. I can't promise anything, but I'll speak to him."

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**Bonus points if you can guess who she's gonna talk to :P Thank you so much if you have followed, favourited or reviewed, it makes me so happy :) **

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	4. Chapter 4

**HIIIII :) Sorry I haven't updated very much, but it's okay I hope :) I hope you guys enjoys this chapter, and sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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Upon re-entering Helheim, Dallas knew exactly where she had to go – there was nowhere else he could be. Out of all the souls in Helheim, his was the one that stood out the most. The countless lives he had made better and saved, the infinite amount of deaths he had prevented – they all added up to make the soul of Phil Coulson. Dallas only needed to think of his soul and a trail of gold lit up in front of her, leading her to Valhalla. Frea had already ventured off into the mysterious depths of Helheim; meaning Dallas could speak to Coulson without being questioned by her sister.

Presuming the golden trail was only in her mind – nobody else seemed to notice it, Dallas followed it through the red tinted hallway that led her to the throne room. She was a little disappointed that she didn't have to go outside to get to Valhalla – she really wanted to explore the gardens and exterior of Helheim. The golden trail stopped abruptly in front of her throne, as there were no doorways to Valhalla – you had to get sent there by the Queen. Dallas wondered if the souls saw trails that led them up to her as well, or if this was just a privilege of being Queen.

Sitting down on the black throne, Dallas willed herself to be in Valhalla, using all the power she could muster to send herself there. She felt her body being ripped apart, each cell taking itself away from her body and flying away – yet she felt no pain. It was as if all of her relays had converted pain into words that were logical and coherent, just describing what was happening instead of retelling it through pain. As soon as she felt all of her cells reforming, creating her body once again, Dallas opened her eyes – glad to find they were in one piece. She wouldn't be a very useful ruler if she couldn't see the souls that she was placing.

Gazing around her, Dallas saw an infinite row of white doors, each with a name plate on. The row stretched on towards the distant horizon, making Dallas appreciate how many good people were actually in the world. However, there was no golden trail leading her to Phil Coulson's room – she'd have to find it the hard way. Dallas stared wide-eyed at the long stretch of rooms before her – surely it would take her days to find Phil! Closing her eyes, Dallas imagined all of the rooms re-arranging, putting Phil's at the front. It was a little ridiculous – but everything seemed to out of the ordinary in Helheim. To Dallas's utter amazement, when she opened her eyes, a door with the name Phil Coulson on it was beside her.

There was nothing to open the door with. Dallas had no clue how she'd enter the room of Phil Coulson – or if she even could, but she couldn't turn back now. She'd told Clint that she'd talk to Phil – and she wasn't about to let him down. Dallas lifted a pale hand, touching it softly against the white door, feeling it disappear under her slight touch. She allowed herself a small smile as she stepped through the tall doorway, letting herself into the dreams of Phil Coulson.

The room that Phil Coulson occupied certainly looked nothing like a room. If Dallas hadn't just walked through the doorway, she would have thought that she was in the middle of a rainforest somewhere in the Amazon, or in the heart of Madagascar. Low hanging branches brushed against Dallas's head as she stepped over logs and various tropical plants, birds soaring overhead. Dallas heard the soft ripple of a river as she walked farther into the beautiful landscape, accompanied by the rustling of leaves as animals scampered across the forest floor.

As Dallas grew closer to the river, a figure came into view, sitting by the riverbank.

"Phil?" Dallas whispered, wondering if this was the man that she was supposed to find. The figure whipped around, raising a gun. This had to be him.

"Who are you?!" Phil demanded, not lowering the gun that was gripped tightly in his hands.

"I'm Dallas, or Hel, I rule over Helheim. But mainly, I'm a friend of Clint and Natasha. If Fury ever mentioned a girl with wings that annoyed him – that's me!" Dallas told the man, smiling in pride of how she had annoyed the Director in the past.

"Ah, yes, he mentioned you once or twice. So what can I help you with?" Phil asked, his mood switching instantly from serious and sinister to casual, tossing the gun aside into a heap of bags.

"Just wondering if there's anything you want me to tell Clint or Natasha – they miss you, a lot." Dallas said solemnly, knowing her friends had suffered a lot from Coulson's death.

"Not really...just for them to keep going. That's it really." Phil replied almost instantly, as if he had gone through what he'd like to say a thousand times.

Dallas knew he wouldn't have much to say. Her plan was to come in, talk and leave. Btu nothing really goes to plan in the life of Dallas Viola does it? That's why she took a chance.

"Why are here? I can see it in your soul – you've got so much left to live for! You shouldn't be here!" Dallas yelled, suddenly having a rush of thoughts pouring into her head. Phil Coulson was not supposed to be dead. She knew Frea must have thought he belonged here, but he didn't. He was needed on Earth! He couldn't stay in the land of the dead.

"I don't know what you mean..." Phil said nervously, giving Dallas a strange look as he failed to work out what she was on about.

"I'm sending you back to Earth." Dallas told him bluntly, her eyes going black as she prepared herself for what she was about to do.

"Talk about short notice..." Coulson muttered to himself as he suppressed his shock as Dallas's eyes turning deep black instead of the shiny grey they usually were. He mentally prepared himself for however he would get back to Earth – it would probably be some weird shit that hadn't even been heard of on Earth.

"You can't let the Avengers know – they have to find out themselves." Dallas told him as she started concentration on the red haze surrounding her hands. She knew that if the Avengers found out she revived Phil, they'd expect her to do something completely impossible such as bring all of the victims of New York back to life. "Make up a cover story – maybe a miracle operation, just please lie!" Dallas shouted as the red haze became a whipping wind, howling as it enveloped Coulson.

Dallas used all of her energy to send Phil back onto Earth, making sure he wasn't trapped in a coffin or whatever SHIELD used. As she fell to the ground, exhausted, Dallas looked up to see Phil was gone. She hoped with all of her heart that he'd been sent to the right place. Maybe she could do this right...maybe.

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**HAYHAYHAY Hope you enjoyed that chapter :) Thank you so much for reading, and even more if you have followed, favourited or reviewed, it make me sosososo happy :) And also thank you to gammawidow67 for giving me the idea for this chapter :)**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hai :3 I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in ages, I feel so bad :( My wifi keeps going weird (I know, torture!) so it wouldn't let me on the interweb :( BUT I'M BACK IN THE GAME NOW :D**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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The room around Dallas faded away, putting Dallas back into the throne room. Dallas guessed it would make room for a new soul in Valhalla, as she hoped Phil wouldn't be coming back soon. Pulling herself off the marble floor, Dallas looked around for Frea, wondering where she was. Dallas didn't know where Frea went when they returned, and was slightly worried that she hadn't returned yet – it had to be quite late now. Skipping up to the door at the far side of the room, Dallas wondered if there was actually anywhere to go from the door; she hadn't really paid that much attention the night she got there.

Dallas felt a little out of place as she strolled past the armour clad guards in her jeans and t-shirt, but she hadn't really had much time to change – plus she was enjoying the comfort of her casual clothes. The hallway was, yet again, red. Did the designers of this place know any other colour than red? Dallas wished that there were more people here – but nobody in their right minds would really want to spend their lives in Helheim would they? She certainly wasn't enjoying it herself. Obviously, it would be more if her sister decided to show up instead of going off in secret.

Dallas came up to a glass door that had what looked like a garden behind it. She didn't even bother thinking about how she could get lost – she didn't need Frea holding her back. Dallas ruled this realm – she might as well explore it. Besides, if she did get lost, she was sure that somebody would notice that the Queen had suddenly disappeared. Pushing the thin door open, Dallas was blasted with crisp air and beautiful smells. A kaleidoscope of colours decorated the seemingly infinite garden, each flower contributing to the tranquil environment within the garden.

Dallas's shoes made soft thuds against the grey, cobbled stones that lead a path through the seemingly infinite garden, leading her into an unknown corner of the silent place. Dallas was perplexed as to how Helheim, a realm commonly associated with death and demons, could hold a place so peaceful and beautiful, like a diamond in a heap of disfigured rocks. Dallas timidly held out a hand to touch to the soft, vibrant leaves of the plants that surrounded her, each one holding more beauty than she thought could ever be possible for something as simple as a plant.

As Dallas delved deeper into the unknown depths of the garden, she began to notice little creatures scuttling around the place, each one as strange as the next. Dallas never saw one creature the same as another – every single life form was a beautiful individual, no matter how contorted the average person may view it as. The creatures were large and small – some resembling ants and other tiny insects, others like deer or horses that ran freely around the place. Dallas didn't even bother trying to imagine how vast this 'garden' was – she didn't even think she could comprehend it in her small mind. It reminded her very much of the TARDIS in Doctor Who – an infinite space in what first appears to be quite small.

Hearing a soft trickle of water, Dallas decided to head towards it, wondering what life lay in the water of Helheim. Twigs crunched under Dallas's feet as she made her way into what she vaguely recognized as a forest. Red tinted trees with leaves of twinkling orange flames towered over the floor, casting a warm glow around the area that they stood above. Dallas was paranoid that each flame could suddenly erupt – creating a blazing fire that could burn her whole realm to the ground if she made one wrong move. If only for a second she lost control of her powers; she could set the whole garden on fire.

Taking tentative, small steps, Dallas keep her ears tuned for the trickling of water amongst the soft crackling of flames from above. Unlike in the main part of the garden, in this forest of sorts there was no path to guide Dallas, just her ears to guide her to the water. She wasn't entirely sure that she'd be able to make her way out without finding herself lost, but this was her own realm; her curiosity always seemed to get the better of her. The steady sound of a stream became gradually louder, until Dallas could feel a soft mist swirling in the air around her. She gazed in awe as the flaming trees cleared, giving her a stunning view of a twinkling pond, with a steady and small waterfall trickling down from a rock above it.

A light blue mist swirled above the pond in a completely unnatural way – even more unnatural than the many bizarre creatures that lived in the garden looked. It transfigured itself into many different forms – from a swarm of tiny flying insects to a raging beast, far taller than Dallas herself, until it settled into the form of a human. Dallas cocked her head to the side as she tried to figure out if this mist was sentient – it behaved like it did. No natural mist would contort itself, or even know of the different organisms that lived in Helheim. In that moment, Dallas wondered why there were living things in Helheim – surely they were meant to be dead? Everything here was supposed to be dead – even herself.

Dallas was ripped from her deep thoughts as a voice came from nowhere.

"You are full of questions, young Queen." Came a mystical voice from the air. Dallas knew immediately that however crazy it seemed, it was the mist talking. She had come to expect crazy things in her short time in Helheim.

"Yeah, I guess." Dallas replied quietly, slightly bemused and embarrassed at the fact that she was talking to mist.

"I am the mist of all. I can see across the realms, into far corners of worlds unknown. I have not spoke to a single soul for ten thousand years – I have been commanded to speak to nobody but the Queen. Now, your first question, please?" The mist told Dallas, its voice without tone or emotion – yet still sounding kind.

"Why is there life here? I mean, this is Helheim, isn't everything supposed to be dead?" Dallas asked, eager to know more about her realm. In all of the things she had been taught about Norse mythology, she had never encountered a being such as the mist. Oh well, she might as well roll with it.

"The creatures you see are not of life – they are the remnants of evil souls that are sent to the lowest levels of Helheim. You see, each soul, no matter how evil and twisted, still has a streak of innocence deep inside it, and this innocence is transformed into a creature, as the innocence deserves to live. The effects on the rest of the soul are disastrous - it cannot remember what good feels like. The only thing it knows, in the treacherous conditions that it resides in, is pain and suffering. It will never again feel the innocence and beauty of life – only the bad aspects of everything. That is what truly makes the lower levels of Helheim so torturous." The mist said, causing Dallas's heart to clench. She had condemned people to this. She shook her head, wiping the tears that had sprung into the corners of her eyes. Those evil souls deserved it.

"Right. Erm...is Frea okay? She seems...agitated lately." Dallas questioned, trying to hide the discomfort at the images of evil souls without innocence that were creeping into her mind.

"Ah. You've not exactly had the best past with family. It's not going to get better – Frea isn't all you think she is. There's a slither of evil in her heart. She is very much like your father, you know. She wants powers – and will one day do whatever it takes to get it." The mist informed Dallas. This didn't go down too well.

"No. NO! YOU'RE LYING!" Dallas screamed the mist – her mood changing in a flash. Her sister was not evil. This couldn't happen – she couldn't watch another member of her family turn into a monster, reduce to a parasite that lives off murder and hate. Frea was nothing like Loki!

Dallas ran. Her feet pounded against the forest floor, her legs began to be littered with blood as brambles and twigs scratched out at her – but she didn't care. She needed to get away from that evil, lying mist. She could feet the flames of the trees burning her back as she whipped past them – causing them to bend in the wind trail she left behind. This couldn't be happening. Dallas didn't even know which way to go. She had left no trail of acorns or bread – nothing that could lead her back to the place she now had to call home.

Dallas jumped into the air, using her wings to pull herself up above the burning trees; she needed to calm down. Out of the corner of her bloodshot eye, Dallas could see the flames on the trees growing larger in her anger, feeding off her power. She couldn't let her powers take control. Scanning the infinite space below her, Dallas's eyes landed on the one place she really wanted to go. The platform. Faster than she had ever gone before, Dallas shot off towards it, forcing her wings to propel her further and faster than she ever had before.

As she grew nearer, Dallas wondered if she could make the trip alone. Yes – of course she could! She couldn't be around Frea right now – she needed to clear her head. Landing on the platform, Dallas readied herself for the flight over the dangerous river. Flexing her wings and stretching them after her short sprint, Dallas knew she was ready to do this alone. She had no idea what the dangers were – but she had to do this.

Dallas launched herself off the platform, speeding over the river as her face was whipped by harsh, cold winds. She almost forgot about her destination, about the river and about the mist as she was caught in a moment of pure bliss, flying high and fast above the river. However, the moment came to an abrupt end as Dallas was hit by the familiar white light – telling her that she needed to think of a destination. Picturing the Tower, Dallas closed her eyes and hoped for the best. She hoped with all her heart that this had worked – she was on her own if it didn't.

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**Thank you so much for reading, and even more so if you have followed, favourited or reviewed :))))**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Hey :) I hope you enjoy this chapter, and sorry for any grammar mistakes! :)))))**

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Once again, the wonderful sight of the Avengers Tower filled Dallas's vision, telling her that she was home. No matter how many people told her that she lived in Helheim – she belonged here. She wasn't Loki's daughter. Her name would never be Hel. She was Dallas Viola, a girl with some pretty awesome friends, and she always would be. A smile crept its way onto Dallas's face as she yet again skipped up to the Tower doors, opening them as she put in her key card. She carried on skipping into the Tower, remembering that Jarvis couldn't detect her – probably because she was some sort of ghost.

Dallas was surprised to hear light chatter coming from the room at the other end of the reception, one that Dallas presumed was one of the many lounges that Tony had built in the Tower. Abandoning the noisier skipping, Dallas settled for a careful walk – not wanting to disturb whatever the Avengers were discussing. Leaning against the only slightly opened door, Dallas could hear exactly what the Avengers were saying.

"I don't think all of this ruling business is very good for her,"

"I know what you mean, especially with everything she's been through!"

"She's perfectly capable of doing things herself!"

Well, at least Dallas could count on them being on her side.

Slowly and quietly, Dallas pushed the door open, revealing herself to Bruce, Tony and Natasha, who were all sat on black leather couches. Their faces instantly lit up a little; they were getting worried about how Dallas was coping.

"Tweety! How's living hell doing?" Tony exclaimed, patting the spot on the sofa beside him. Dallas skipped over, sitting down beside him.

"Absolutely shit – I don't think I can stand that place anymore!" Dallas cried, sick of her realm.

"Geez, what happened?" Tony asked, knowing it takes more than an annoying sister to piss off Dallas.

"There was this stupid mist thing that told me Frea was evil...lying bitch..." Dallas muttered, still not believing that Frea was anything but good natured and innocent.

"The mist of all..." Natasha murmured, obviously knowing something about the strange anomaly.

"Do you know something about it?!" Dallas demanded, wondering if it was an illusion, conjured by evil beings such as Loki.

"Yeah." Natasha whispered, as if not wanting to say what she knew. Tony and Bruce gave her questioning glances, wondering why the usually straight and to the point woman was reluctant to share information.

"Natasha?" Bruce said in a low tone, confused as to why Natasha wouldn't tell them. Her face was a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I...I really wish this wasn't true. I'm really sorry Dallas, truly sorry – you don't deserve this..." Natasha murmured, avoiding Dallas's gaze.

"WHAT?" Dallas yelled, desperate to know what was so tragic that even the tough, master assassin was shocked by it.

"The mist of all...it's a truth being. Thor told me about them when we were on the Helicarrier. Each one is assigned to a ruler, commanded to reveal themselves and speak to only that ruler. They answer any question asked...with the complete, honest truth. I'm so sorry, Dallas." Natasha told her solemnly. The broken look on Dallas's face was one of the most heartbreaking things that Natasha had ever seen.

"No." Dallas whispered, her voice breaking as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Natasha said yet again, putting a comforting hand on Dallas's arm.

"NO! Don't fucking touch me!" Dallas screamed, standing up and pushing Natasha and Tony away violently.

"Dallas, listen-" Tony tried to reconcile, only to cut off by Dallas.

"NO! I won't fucking listen to you, or anyone! You're all liars! Everybody lies, why? I can't fucking trust anyone! Stay the fuck away from me!" Dallas screamed again, hot tears streaming down her face. Dallas pulled violently at her hair, clutching at her head as if to rid herself of an inner demon. She shoved Bruce aside as she sprinted towards the door. Slamming her palm on the door, she forced it open, despite the protests of Tony and Natasha.

Dallas's legs burned as she ran through the reception of the tower, intent on getting out of the front door. However, through her tear blurred vision, Dallas saw a figure, just standing in the doorway. The long blue hair and wings gave it away as Frea. Frea wasn't evil. She couldn't be. So why did Dallas doubt that? Why, after calling Natasha a liar, did a small part of her believe the assassin?

"Frea?" Dallas whimpered, dying to be able to fully trust her sister. She was hoping that all of her crazy suspicions about her sister would immediately be blown away by whatever Frea was about to say – but things never really worked out the way Dallas wanted them to.

"Dallas! What the hell are you doing here?!" Frea questioned, her voice full of bitter accusation. All of Dallas's hopes came crashing down – the tears streaming once again. This couldn't be happening – not when everything was going so well.

"Answer me!" Frea demanded, taking a step towards her sister.

"I...I wanted to see my friends." Dallas told Frea, her voice barely a whisper. If she was honest, she was utterly terrified. Behind her, three people she didn't know if she could trust stood, and in front of her, a person who seemed pretty evil was accusing her of being a traitor. She had nobody to go to.

"What the fuck? You are meant to be loyal to Helheim! You are the only reason people obey me!" Frea snapped, giving Dallas all the wrong signs. That was when she decided the most important decision she had ever made – she didn't trust Frea.

"If you want people to obey you, why don't you just take over Helheim – go be like Loki – that's what a fucking traitor is. I can't fucking deal with this anymore!" Dallas yelled back, before storming past Frea and out of the door.

"Maybe I fucking will, bitch!" Frea screeched back, before disappearing into a blinding light. However, only Tony, Bruce and Natasha were there to see it – Dallas was already sprinting off into the distance, cars roaring past her on the busy street.

Dallas's feet thudded against the grey pavement, her eyes streaming with shining tears. Her feet burned, aching from constantly hitting hard concrete. Darkness was creeping through the sky, the night ready to spring into action. Dallas was on the streets in New York for the night. She couldn't stay at the Tower – Tony probably hated her right now. She couldn't even go back to Helheim – Frea would have probably sealed any ways to get into Helheim by now. It dawned on Dallas that she had probably now condemned souls to eternal Hell. Great.

Dallas found a small sheltered corner, surprisingly with no rats in sight. Creating a wall from ice to protect her from the dangers that lurk in the city at night, Dallas curled up against the wall, singing herself to sleep – exactly the way she used to. She was desperately hoping that once more her dreams would hold life within them, maybe just this once.

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**That was hard to write :( Thank you so much if you have reviewed, followed or favourited, it makes me so happy that you guys take the time to read this :3**

**LOVE YOU**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am honestly so sorry that I haven't updated - I have no excuse I'm so sorry :( Thank you so much for waiting, I promise I'll update more often soon :) Sorry this chapter is pretty boring!**

**And sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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Jagged edges of bricks left Dallas's back bloody and sore as she woke up, her eyes squinting from the sunlight that streamed through the half melted ice wall in front of her. She obviously lost control as she slept – she usually had no trouble with her powers when she was asleep. Nightmares had plagued her sleep. Nightmares of everything, and everyone, that she had ever encountered in her mess of a life; convincing her that she didn't deserve to be alive. However, unlike she had done so many times before, Dallas ignored the voice. It was nothing – just something that her insane mind had made up. It knew nothing.

If the voice really knew her, then it would know that she wasn't alive. Dallas Viola was already dead – so of course she couldn't be alive anymore. She was just going to let herself rot away – let her mind take control of her body. She wasn't ever going back to Helheim – that would be giving in. Dallas was not going to give in to her sister. Dallas was not going to go back to a realm where everything was red, she was not going to condemn people to having their souls ripped apart – she couldn't do it. She couldn't bear to look into the black eyes of a black soul that would soon be ripped apart, and only know pain, because of her decision.

Waving her hand to incinerate the ice wall, Dallas pulled her jacket tighter, zipping it up as the cold morning air bit her skin. She stood up, surveying her surrounding to check nobody had come after her – she didn't need SHIELD on her tail right now. She began walking at a fast pace towards a small coffee shop, hoping that SHIELD wouldn't think to look in a place such as a coffee shop. Either that or they would assume that she went back to Helheim. That's if they were even bothered – she was dead to them.

Dallas pushed open the large glass doors, relieved to find that she was the only customer in the shop – no undercover SHIELD agents were loitering around. As Dallas reached the long red counter, a small, mousy haired girl smiled at her. Dallas suddenly remembered that she hadn't even bothered doing anything with her hair or clothes – she must look a mess. Well, that's how she felt, so it was only fitting.

"Hi, what can I get you today?" The girl asked. Unlike many waitresses Dallas had encountered, the girl was not rude about her hair, and, from what Dallas could see, her smile was completely natural – not an ounce of fake sweetness in sight.

"Could I have a Cappuccino and some toast please," Dallas ordered, pulling out her purse from her jacket pocket. Luckily, she still had a few dollars left over from when she first came to New York, and Tony insisted on giving her money.

"Certainly, that will be $4, please take a seat." The girl told her, as Dallas handed over the money. Dallas walked over to a nearby table, pulling out a wooden chair to sit on. The table was decorated with a cute red and white cloth, very cliché for a coffee shop. Dallas liked the cosy atmosphere of the shop – it had a warm, friendly air that seemed to cheer Dallas up without her even realizing it.

As the girl came to Dallas with the coffee, Dallas read her name tag. The girl was called Scarlett, a name Dallas knew symbolized kindness, which was very fitting for the girl who had just sat opposite her after placing the coffee and toast on the table. Dallas took a sip from the coffee, relaxing as the liquid burned her throat.

"So, what's your story?" Scarlett asked, leaning her elbows on the table. Dallas gave her a questioning look, wondering how the girl could catch on so easily.

"Oh come on, nobody comes in this early unless they're having trouble, and besides – have you seen your hair?" Scarlett teased, handing Dallas a pocket mirror. Dallas allowed herself a quick look in the mirror, shocked to see that her red hair had practically exploded around her face like a half-hearted afro.

Scarlett smirked at Dallas's half open mouth, before handing her a small brush, which Dallas accepted gratefully, yanking it through her tangled hair.

"Well, I guess I'm on the streets now – my sister was lying behind my back so I can't live with her anymore, and I kinda shouted at my friends a lot, so they won't want me back either. But it's okay, I've got big plans, I know I can get through this." Dallas told Scarlett, finding a new sense of hope within herself – there were still kind humans left.

"You know, that sounds so awesome! Most people that have only just become homeless don't have much hope – it takes them a few years to regain it, but you come here with your dreams still intact – it's a wonderful thing, hope." Scarlett said, her eyes clouding over slightly.

"Thanks," Dallas said quietly, finishing off her toast. Realizing that she had finished her coffee as well, Dallas stood up to leave, tugging her jacket around herself.

"Wait!" Scarlett cried, pulling a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket, pulling Dallas back. She scribbled on the paper, before tearing a little bit off and handing it to Dallas.

"Here's my phone number – feel free to call me if you ever need anything!" Scarlett said, smiling. Dallas took the paper, putting it in her pocket.

"Thank you so much, I'll call you as soon as I can! It's been a pleasure meeting you!" Dallas said as she walked out of the door, grinning at Scarlett. You know that feeling when you make a new friend? It's amazing, isn't it.

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**Thank you so much for reading, and even more so if you have followed, favourited or reviewed :3  
**LOVE YOU


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been a while, has it not? I'm incredibly sorry for the delayed update - I've had writer's block on and off for a bit; but I'll pull through it :) I hope you enjoy this chapter - sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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The first week on the streets was hard. Dallas had no money, no food, and nowhere to go. She hardly slept at night, instead spending her time lighting small fires by her fellow homeless, keeping them warm as the slept. Not that they really needed it – these people had been on the streets for most of their lives, but it made Dallas feel that she was doing a little good in the world. She would much rather spend her time lighting fires to keep homeless people warm than condemn souls to eternal turmoil.

The homeless were extremely kind – offering Dallas the limited food and clothes that they had gathered, however she refused every time. She couldn't take from these people, no matter how desperately she needed food or clothes – it didn't feel right. She had the option of going back to her little shed where her clothes were stored, were she had left a large sum of money that she had managed to save – these people had nowhere that could offer them even a small amount of salvation. On the other hand, Dallas didn't know how on Earth she'd be able to get back to her shed - she had no money, and absolutely no energy; it would be pretty impossible. Still, she refused to take things from the homeless.

Some days, passers by would take pity on the homeless teenager, dropping a small amount of money by her feet. It wasn't much, but in the long run it helped Dallas a lot. After a week of staying in New York, Dallas decided she needed to move around before SHIELD found her. She knew this wouldn't be easy – photos of her were all over the internet thanks to Tony Stark; but she had an idea.

Many times on TV, Dallas had seen makeover shows that completely changed a person's appearance, making them unrecognizable to people that didn't know them very well. Dallas hadn't had that much experience with make up herself, but she guessed that it couldn't be that hard – she only had to make herself look different, not better, so a lack of skill could come in handy. She bought herself some hair dye and make up with the money she had, choosing colours she would never wear, and set about creating her new look.

After washing her clothes the best she could, Dallas stepped up to the main highway, her hair now black, straight and shoulder length, eyes roughly lined with black, lips a dark shade of pink, her skin two shades lighter than it was before. She began her long walk, alone again, but with hope beyond what she had known before. The few cars on the grey, endless road passed by Dallas without so much as registering her, but she didn't – couldn't, give up. She needed to get away from the mess she had created, and this was the only way.

By the time that the evening came, Dallas's shoes had almost worn away completely, her legs pacing on automatic down the endless highway. Nobody dared to make eye contact with her as they passed in their comfortable, warm cars, assuming that she was just another teenage runaway. To be honest, she was. She was running away to escape the people that 'cared' about her, because she couldn't stand to see their disappointed faces. Dallas's eyes were growing heavy as they gazed upon yet another car coming speeding from behind her, another person that would go home to a bed tonight. She slowly raised her tired arms, pleading desperately that this person would have the heart to stop as she turned around. Never before had the sight of an orange flashing light been so welcoming.

"You need a ride anywhere?" The woman asked Dallas, leaning out of her small blue car.

"I'm heading for anywhere in that direction." Dallas said, pointing down the infinite stretch of highway in front of them.

"Hop in, kid," The woman told her, opening up the passenger door. Dallas grinned widely, stepping into the woman's car.

"So, what's your name?" The woman asked, starting off the small talk that would only lead to an awkward silence.

"Helena, yours?" Dallas answered, thinking on the spot. Her other name was Hel – so it only made sense to pretend it was Helena.

"Ellie. Why are you on the streets? Kicked out or runaway?" Ellie asked, pulling back out into the road. Dallas had to grab onto the side door as the car lurched forward; Ellie was obviously making the most of the empty highway.

"Runaway. I did some pretty bad shit, I doubt anyone wants me back home now, so I gotta hit the road and get away. It'll be a nice break, you know," Dallas sighed, a small part of her regretting her decision. But she couldn't turn back now, not now she had come this far.

"I get ya. You ever gonna go back?" Ellie inquired. Dallas was becoming a little tired, but decided it would only be polite to answer – after all, Ellie was letting a stranger into her car.

"I doubt it – I don't think that I'll ever have the guts." Dallas replied solemnly, running a hand through her black bangs, still not used to the length. She was starting to regret cutting and dying her hair – she missed the vibrant red and long curls of her previous style, but she knew it had to be done.

Ellie just nodded, seemingly also tired of the questions. It was only now that Dallas had nothing to concentrate on that she realized how tired she was. It was only natural really, after a whole day of walking down a highway on little food. Dallas stretched out her legs that had a hint of cramp creeping into them, before pulling them close and laying her head on the window. Trees, hills and fields rushed past the car, the hum of the engine lulling her into sleep. As Dallas's eyes finally closed, she could only think of one thing – she was finally getting away. Away from Hel, away from life; away from everything. She was finally free.

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**Thank you so much for reading this, and even more so if you have followed, favourited and/or reviewed :3 By the way, I've started putting the outfits of characters onto my Polyvore account now (winter-violet-dream), so you could get a little more insight into what the characters look like and their personalities if you want :)**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hai! Oooh, I've updated quickly for once ;) Btw, I've never been to America, so I have no idea what the towns/cities/whatevers are like there, so if it's inaccurate, please don't take offence, I'm sure everything is beautiful there :3**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for any grammar mistakes!**

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***2 Years later***

The back streets of Englewood, Colorado, were pretty bare – no people, no noise, no shops. Well, all except for a wasted 18 year old, smashing her fist in anger against a crumbling brick wall, each blow further denting the cracked bricks. Her long, tangled hair was mostly a faded black, however long roots of red were showing from her scalp. Her skin barely clung to her bones, yet she had more strength than the average girl her age. Her baggy clothes were torn in most places, some parts stained with alcohol or cigarettes. Her hand was gripping a smashed bottle, letting the shards of glass pierce the thin skin that coated her skeleton. This was a broken girl.

This girl was once a believer in being a fighter, in never letting them take your spirit. A lot can change in two years. Dallas Viola was no longer Dallas Viola. She was Helena Rose, an alcoholic living in solitude, not even mixing with other homeless unless it was to trade. Not once in the two years that she had been away had she even attempted contacting anyone from her old life, or let them find her. She was well hidden in her little secret life – she didn't even know herself anymore.

Dallas, or Helena, had traded most of her jewellery for money, as passers by refused to give her money; everybody knew that she'd only spend it on more drinks. She only had a little money left by now, enough to buy a noose. That was all she wanted now. Throwing the bottle to the floor, she took off running as the smash resonated through her ears that hadn't heard the sound of music for two years. Her tired feet thudded against the cracked pavement, almost being worn away through the poor excuses she used for shoes.

She never walked. Always running. Running was the only thing she had left – flying was long since abandoned. Far too many memories were connotations of the spreading of wings, the feeling of wind rushing beneath them. As she stumbled to the local shop, Dallas smiled to herself a little, knowing that it would all be over soon. Unless something ridiculous happens again, just like every other time she had tried to achieve peace. Why did people find it so hard to see that life was too hard? Just because they had their perfect lives in their perfect houses, didn't mean that all people did.

A little bell rung quietly as Dallas stepped through the door, heading straight for the camping aisle. A kaleidoscope of tents and equipment was packed onto the shelves, making the search for a rope quite a difficult feat. If Dallas was with Tony, Bruce or any of the other guys, they would have a competition of who could reach it first, then fight when they all got it at the same time. But none of that was going to happen, she told herself – she was alone now. If they really cared, they would have come looking for her.

As Dallas began to drift through the aisle, the small television caught her eye, in particular the images shown. They all looked just like the souls that were sent to Helheim. No. Panicking, Dallas knew she had to do something irrational. She had just the thing.

"Excuse me?" She said, walking up to the counter. Her voice was rough and scratchy, from a mixture of not being used often and her throat being abused by constant smoking, drinking and vomiting.

"How can I help?" The bored looking teenager behind the counter asked, his eyes half closed.

"Could I use a phone please?" Dallas asked, trying her best to sound nice, despite having only said harsh words for the past two years.

"Sure, it's over there. Gimme a fiver and I'll unlock it for ya." The teenager demanded. Dallas, not in the mood for arguing, decided to just give him her only remaining money.

Once the boy had given her the phone, Dallas dialled the number she could remember off the top of her head, despite being pretty wasted and having not used the number in two years. Dallas held her breath as the tone dialled; once, twice, a third time. By the fifth time, Dallas was about to hang up, having second thoughts about what she was about to do. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the boy looking at her as if she was a freak – to be honest, she probably looked like one.

"Hello, Tony Stark speaking."

"Tony, it's me."

"What, who ar-is this Dallas?"

"I haven't been called that in a while, but yeah."

"Holy shit, Dallas. We've missed you so much! I guess you've just seen the news."

"Yeah. We've gotta stop Frea – she's turned into Loki."

"Where are you now?"

"Englewood, Colorado."

"We'll be there in an hour. Pack your shit."

"See you soon, Tony."

And with that, Dallas hung up, handing the phone back to the boy and exiting the store. Finally, she was going to get some adventure in her life.

Dallas headed straight for the public toilets, not having any 'shit' to pack. It took her a while to focus on her reflection, the alcohol tipping her vision slightly. However, once her eyes had locked on, Dallas knew she had to do something. Grabbing the broken hairbrush that lay on the sink counter, Dallas desperately tried to make her hair look half decent, before resorting to soaking it with water. Making sure nobody was looking; Dallas quickly dried it with a small blast of fire, letting it set straight.

Dallas was desperately trying to rid her clothes of stains for the sixth time when she heard it. An eerie, almost silent whisper from behind her. Then she saw it. The dark eyes, set deep into a charred body, the only feature that was distinguishable through the cracks in the faded skin.

"Why are you here?" Dallas asked the soul, switching to ruler mode for the first time since she ran away.

"Frea promised us freedom. We are here to claim Midgard as ours." The soul whispered, its voice scratchy and strained.

Dallas needed to hear no more. There was no longer any doubt that her sister had changed, that the escaped souls could be an accident. She grabbed the knife that she always kept in her pocket, plunging it between the eyes of the soul. It immediately disintegrated into ashes. The eyes disappearing into a mess of dust.

Dallas marched outside just as a sleek, small plane sped into view. The Avengers were here.

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**I feel like this chapter kinda rushed a bit, I'm sorry that it's so bad! Thank you so much for reading this, and even more so if you have followed, favourited and/or reviewed, it makes me so happy!**

**Thank you so much!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hai :3 I'd just like to thank you for reading this - I know that not many people do, but I won't stop because of you awesome people that have followed/favourited :3  
****Hope you enjoy this chapter - sorry for any mistakes!**

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Dallas had barely registered the plane before it was hovering above her head. In only a few seconds, various superheroes were descending from the sky towards her, a sight that Dallas thought – or hoped – that she would never see again. Were these not the people that she had devoted the last two years to hide from? Had she not thrown herself downhill to the point of suicide to avoid these people? And now, she was going to let them see her at her very worst – even worse than when they first found her. What was she thinking?

Dallas was just about to turn and run, to escape the destiny that she brought upon herself, when she saw their faces. Faces that she knew she missed, but didn't let herself regret leaving them. In that fraction of a second that she saw them – she knew where she belonged. She was Dallas Viola, and she belonged in the Avengers Tower, helping strangers and actually living. She couldn't take just getting by anymore; she had to start living again.

"Goodbye." Dallas whispered to the empty streets around her, smiling for the first time in two years as she let her legs take her to the group of six people that she could safely call family.

As soon as Tony had let his suit take him off the plane, he knew it would take a lot to recover the girl that he knew two years ago. There was no spirit left in her vacant grey eyes, no flame to be seen in her long hair. She no longer was dressed in designer label clothes that Pepper had bought for her, only torn old things that hung off her skin, looking at least 5 sizes too big. Her thin lips were dry and cracked, matching the dark circles of dry skin that resided beneath the eyes that once held so much life. A furious curiosity burned inside Tony's mind as he wondered what had happened to Dallas in the last two years, how had she changed so much?

The solid shoes of Tony's suit touched the ground with a slight metallic clink, hardly gracing the floor before they took off running again, closely followed by the five behind him. In the last two years, he had spent many hours sitting and wondering if he would ever see Dallas again; he was sure that the others had as well. The lonely teenager had become part of their family as soon as she had walked into the Tower with her sarcastic comments, and none of them would have it any other way. Even Fury had put a small bit of effort into tracking down the whereabouts of Dallas, although it was in vain.

Dallas was greeted with nothing but smiles and relief as she reached the group of famous superheroes, a complete opposite of the regret and anger that she was expecting. A smile stayed defiantly on her features – making up for the two years without even thinking about smiling. The next few minutes included a lot of hugs and smiles – even from Natasha. Much to Dallas's relief, this all subside quickly – she wasn't used to human contact as of late.

"You look shit." Tony stated bluntly, folding his metal arms across his chest.

"Gee, thanks Tony, much appreciated." Dallas replied just as bluntly as Tony had, mimicking his actions.

"Touché." Tony muttered, wondering where the laugh and sarcastic retort was.

Dallas knew that the old her would have laughed and told Tony that his suit was looking rusty – but that was the thing. She wasn't the old her. Two years of being the alcoholic called Helena Rose had taught her that life was a cruel joke, a weapon used by the earth to destroy itself. Dallas felt no guilt in not laughing like she should, guilt would be weak. Even a tiny bit of weakness could make her crack. For the past two years, she had been staying strong for the sake of other people; she couldn't let her crazy, destroyed mind escape from her body. She was hanging on by her fingertips to the place people call sanity, and weakness was a person that stepped on her fingers.

"I'm sorry; I've experienced this thing called change. I apologize for the inconvenience your thick skull." Dallas simply stated, before turning away and talking to Natasha. Tony shared a glance with Steve, both of them having no clue what had happened to Dallas.

"We gotta get on the plane now – we need to work out what's happening." Clint told the group, climbing into the plane that had somehow landed itself. Dallas guessed that they must have autopilot now, either that or JARVIS was left in control.

"Race you?" Tony asked hopefully, smiling almost fakely at Dallas.

"Not in the mood." Dallas replied, before turning away again to walk with Natasha. She didn't mean it to be rude. Dallas knew that Tony would want to fly, and she couldn't let them see her wings until they were in a better condition. For the past two years, Dallas had used them, only twice, both times when she owed someone money. As a result, most of the feathers had come off, leaving only cracked bones with bullet holes in them. Dallas didn't want to show this to people; it would be a sign of weakness.

Upon reaching the smaller than expected plane, Dallas immediately chose a window seat, hoping to distract herself by viewing the scenery below her. Knowing that Dallas wouldn't want to sit next to Tony, Natasha placed herself next to Dallas, offering a small smile that was immediately returned.

"I go this for you." Natasha said quietly, handing Dallas a small mp3 player. Dallas smiled as she took it, scrolling quickly through the tracklist.

"I asked JARVIS what music you liked best – I hope it's enough." Natasha told her, explaining the fact that all of Dallas's favourite songs were there.

"Thank you so much! You are honestly a lifesaver!" Dallas thanked Natasha quietly.

Plugging the headphones into her ears, Dallas was incredibly grateful for the fact that the blaring music in her ears meant she couldn't speak to anybody in the cramped space. The endless fields and trees below the window meant she didn't have to look at anybody. She was officially anti-social again. As her eyes grew heavy, all that was on Dallas's mind was different ways to avoid people.

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